SA Evacuation: Minority only rushed to damage my reputation and my ministry’s image – Ablakwa
Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has criticised the Minority’s handling of concerns over the South Africa evacuation expenditure, saying its actions seek to damage his reputation and the image of his ministry.
On JoyNews’ Newsfile on Saturday, October 17, 2026, Mr Ablakwa expressed disappointment at the caucus’s approach, arguing that it had rushed to discredit the ministry.
"When you say that the Minister (himself) has not accounted for GHC 16.4 million or GHC 16.3 million, what does that mean? It means that the people of Ghana should hold me responsible for a missing GHC 16.4 or GHC 16.3 million,"
"So they (the Minority) have been most unfair when you cannot be diligent, take your time, you know, this indecent rush to assassinate the character of the foreign ministry. It has to stop," he said.
He was responding to the Ranking Member of Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, Samuel Abu Jinapor, who said the Minority had not accused the Minister of wrongdoing but was seeking an audit into perceived expenditure anomalies.
Mr Ablakwa maintained that the Minority’s handling of the matter has been unfair and has already inflicted reputational damage, despite its explanation that it was only demanding further scrutiny.
The Minister also rejected suggestions of financial impropriety, insisting that not a cedi was missing from the evacuation funds.
The evacuation brought 1,964 Ghanaians home between May 27 and September 4, 2026, following renewed xenophobic attacks and intimidation against foreign nationals in South Africa. The Ministry put the total cost at GH¢49,721,786.
On September 18, the ministry submitted a report exceeding 200 pages to the Deputy Ranking Member of Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, Nana Asafo-Adjei Ayeh, in response to a Right to Information request. The documents included evacuees’ contact details and signatures.
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